Semi-conductor amplifying device



United States Patent ()fitice Patented Jan. 24, 1967 aseasss SEMl-CONDUQTGR AMPLEFYING DEVICE William E. Slasher, Newton, Mass, and Stanley Karandanis, Epping, N.H., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Transitron Electronic Corporation, Wakefield, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Original application Nov. 12, 1958, Ser. No. 773,407, now Patent No. 3,178,633. Divided and this application July 2, 1964, Ser. No. 384,571

2 Claims. (Cl. 3tl788.5)

This application is a division of application Serial No. 773,407, filed November 12, 1958, now Patent No. 3,178,633.

The present invention relates in general to semiconductor devices and more particularly concerns a novel semiconductor amplifier circuit especially suitable for use in a voltage regulator circuit. The novel circuit maintains an output voltage substantially constant in the presence of wide variations in temperature. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a voltage reference source and temperature-stabilized amplifier are combined in a single semiconductor device. This is advantageous because the physical package is rugged and compact, and temperature-compensated and temperature-compensating circuit elements are subjected to substantially the same temperature.

Semiconductor devices are preferred in numerous circuit applications where amplification is required because they are small, mechanically rugged and consume relatively small amounts of power. Semiconductor rectifying junctions reverse-biased by a source of potential in excess of the Zener breakdown potential of the junction are useful as voltage reference sources since the potential across such junction is nearly constant over a wide range of currents. However, these and other semiconductor devices have operating characteristics which are generally temperature sensitive. In particular, the base-toemitter potential of a transistor and the Zener potential of a reverse-bias rectifying junction are functionally related to temperature. It is especially ditficult to cornpensate for such temperature variations over a wide range of temperatures because the relationships between these potentials and temperature are nonlinear functions. The potential drop across a normally forward-biased base-emitter junction decreases as temperature increases because the concentration of majority carriers increases. In the case of a reverse-biased rectifying junction functioning as a Zener diode, the sense of the relationship between Zener potential and temperature is a function of the current passing across the junction. Under most normal operating conditions, the sense of this relationship is positive; that is, a rise in temperature is accompanied'by a rise in the Zener potential.

The problem is especially serious in connection with attempting to provide a circuit for coupling the voltage of an unregulated power supply to an output terminal where it is desired to maintain the voltage substantially constant. Basically, such circuits include a transistor in series with the unregulated supply and the output terminal. A fraction of the potential on the output terminal is compared with a reference potential maintained by a Zener diode. A transistor amplifier delivers a current to the base of the series transistor which follows changes in the output potential so that the potential drop across the series transistor accommodates changes in the potential of the unregulated supply so as to maintain the potential on the output terminal substantially constant, regardless of load current.

However, the output potential is subject to fluctuations due to changes in temperature because of the temperature sensitivity of the transistor D.C. amplifier and that of the Zener potential. Heretofore, attempts at a partial solution involve using a pair of transistors having similar temperature coefficients differentially connected. However, significant variations due to temperature changes still occur. This is due in part to the inability to simultaneously match the temperature characteristics of the pair of differentially-connected transistors with those of the Zener diode.

Accordingly, the present invention contemplates and has as an important object the provision of a semiconductor circuit capable of functioning to amplify deviations in an output potential from a prescribed level with amplification being provided by a single transistor which receives the reference potential from one or more voltage reference semiconductor diodes which also function to compensate for temperature-sensitive variations in the characteristics of the single transistor.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a semiconductor circuit in accordance with the preceding object in which the single transistor and temperature-compensating voltage reference diodes are combined in a single semiconductor device so that compensated and compensating rectifying junctions are maintained at substantially the same temperature while at the same time occupying a relatively small volume.

According to the invention, amplification is provided by a semiconductor device having at least first and second oppositely polarized rectifying junctions. The first junction is between emitter and base and is normally forward-biased, the potential drop across this junction being functionally related to temperature in a first sense. One or more voltage reference diodes are connected in series with the first junction, all the reference diodes carrying the same current. The potential across the voltage reference diodes is functionally related to temperature so as to maintain the potential across the series combination of the first junction and the one or more voltage reference diodes substantially constant.

The second junction is typically between the base and the collector. In a typical voltage regulator circuit, the current transmitted across the second junction; that is, the collector current, controls the base current of a transistor in series with an unregulated potential source and an output terminal whose potential is maintained substantially constant by means including the novel circuit.

In one embodiment of the invention, the voltage reference diodes include a stabistor and Zener diode connected in series. Preferably, the invention is embodied by means comprising a single semiconductor device including the first and second junctions and the one or more voltage reference diodes.

A feature of the physical arrangement of the present invention is that the first junction and the junctions defining the voltage reference diodes are essentially thermally connected together. This minimizes temperature gradients between junctions so that transient thermal effects are considerably reduced. Such effects are especially noticeable during the initial warm-up period in prior art devices.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic circuit illustrating a typical prior art circuit.

FIGURE 2 is a circuit illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows how the novel temperature stabilized circuit may be modified to regulate a negative potential by using an NPN transistor;

FIG. 4 shows another modification of the circuit of FIG. 2 wherein the voltage reference diodes are in series with the base terminal of the transistor;

FIG. shows still another modification of the invention in which the voltage reference diodes are connected between the base terminal and the output terminal bearing the regulated high potential;

FIG. 6 shows a modification of the circuit illustrated in FIG. 5 in which the voltage reference diodes are in series with the emitter terminal instead of the base terminal;

FIGURES 7 and 8 illustrate schematically physical embodiments of the present invention, and,

FIGURE 9 illustrates a schematic equivalent circuit of the arrangement shown in FIGURE 8.

In FIGURE 1 there is shown a typical circuit of the type previously used for purpose of obtaining amplification and voltage reference. Here it will be noted that a pair of transistors 1 and 2 were matched to minimize the effects of temperature on their base-emitter voltage. In addition the voltage reference Z comprises an avalanche diode and two stabistors (diodes biased in a forward direction). Thus this arrangement utilized five semi-conductor devices and seven junctions. While this arrangement is an improvement over the utilization of a bare transistor amplifier, it still has a temperature coefiicient error in the order of of that previously encountered in the ordinary transistor. This error'is due principally to the utilization of two transistors which ordinarily cannot be perfectly matched and in addition to the residual temperature coefficient of the voltage reference Z.

In the present invention a transistor and stabistor are eliminated. In effect in the present invention, a voltage reference device comprising a Zener diode and single stabistor are utilized. For additional compensation of the Zener diode, the base-emitter junction of the transistor, which as to have been found has a comparable temperature coefficient is utilized. This general arrangement provides a better overall temperature coefficient than that obtained in the circuit shown in FIGURE 1, because thermal errors of both reference and transistors in the circuit of FIGURE 1 must be added together.

As illustrated in a preferred embodiment of the present invention in FIGURE 2, the voltage reference amplifier device comprising the present invention is shown in the broken enclosure indicated at 4 as part of a typical overall circuit. Within this enclosure there is provided a transistor 5 having a base B, collector C and emitter E as well as a Zener diode 7 and a stabistor 6, the stabistor and Zener diode both being voltage reference diodes and connected in series to form part of a voltage reference device. The Zener diode is connected to the emitter terminal of the transistor. The transistor has a negative coefficient between the base B and emitter E. The combination of the stabistor and Zener diode 6 and 7 respectively, has a positive temperature coefficient between the terminal A and the emitter E. The reference elements are selected so that the voltage between the terminals A and B have nearly a zero temperature coefficient.

In this arrangement the reference terminal A is supplied with a constant current derived from a regulated output voltage. The base of the transistor B samples a portion of the output voltage and compares it with the reference voltage. The resulting error signal is amplified by the transistor and this amplified current is applied to the next transistor 8 through the collector terminal C. The resistor R2 is used in this arrangement to supply the proper amount of current to the reference components 6 and 7. Resistors R3 and 4 are voltage: dividers.

Typical parameters of the device shown in FIGURE 2:

Collector current (I emitter current (I :250 microamps In this arrangement therefore the measure of error of the temperature coefiicient of the base to ground is exceedingly small.

It will be noted that the temperature coefficient of base to ground is the difference between the sum of the temperature coefficient of the base to emitter and the temperature coefficient of the stabistor on the one hand and the temperature coeificient of the Zener diode on the other.

This is obvious for as previously pointed out the stabistor and base to emitter temperature .coefiicient is negative while that of the Zener diode is positive.

The circuit described in FIGURE 2 utilizes an NPN transistor. In FIGURE 3 there is shown an arrangement for use with a PNP transistor. Here the voltage source as indicated is negative and the Zener and stabistor I0 and 11 respectively are biased in directions opposite from that shown in FIGURE 2. The circuit however, Works in identical fashion.

In both the circuits of FIGURES 2 and 3, an increase in load voltage results in an increase in collector current. In FIGURE 4, however, a circuit arrangement is shown in which an increase in load voltage results in a decrease in collector current.

Here the Zener diodes 12 and 13 are connected between the base and the emitter. Here for typical circuit parameters, the voltage across the Zener diodes may be approximately 4.8 volts each. The temperature coeificient of the entire circuit, that is of emitter to ground may be approximately .002% degree centigrade, or .018 millivolt per degree centigrade. The input at the emitter is approximately 9 volts. The current through the Zener diodes is equal to one milliamp. The transconductance is equal to 6000 micromhos.

This arrangement will be seen as similar to that described in FIGURE 2, for effectively the balanced transistor amplifier arrangement shown in FIGURE 1 is eliminated by combining the base to emitter temperature coefficient with the temperature coefficient of the reference to reduce it to a minimum. This arrangement is illustrative of the fact that a pair of Zeners may be used in place of a Zener, stabistor arrangement, provided proper circuit parameters are selected.

In FIGURES 5 and 6 there is shown additional circuits which incorporate the structure of the present invention. Here the circuit shown in FIGURE 5 is somewhat similar to the circuit shown in FIGURE 2, while that shown in FIGURE 6 is somewhat similar to the circuit shown in FIGURE 4. The voltage reference in FIGURE 5 which may comprise the Zener diode and stabistor, is identical to that shown in FIGURE 2. Both must have a temperature coeflicient which is equal to and opposite in polarization to the temperature coeificient of the base to emitter junction of the transistor. The reference component in FIGURES 4 and 6 are also identical. These must have a temperature coefiicient which is equal and also which is polarized similarly to the temperature coefficient of the base to emitter junction of the transistor.

The arrangements described above may be made as a very compact and unitary physical package if desired. In FIGURE 7 there is illustrated schematically such an embodiment. Here a sandwich of three layers of semiconductive material are grown together to form an NPN transistor having a collector indicated at C, a base indicated at B, and an emitter indicated at E. Suitable leads are provided to the collector as indicated at 20 to the base as indicated at 21 and to the emitter as indicated at 22. A layer of P type semi-conductor material is then grown to the end of the emitter, thereby forming effectively a Zener diode integrally with the remainder of the semiconductor material. After this, the melt is very heavily doped with N type of material as indicated by the lower-most layer to obtain a diode biased in the forward direction. A lead indicated at 23 is connected to this layer. Typical thicknesses of the five layer sandwich would contemplate, as indicated in the drawings, 16 mils for the collector; 0.2 mil for the base; 70 mils for the emitter; 40 mils for the P type layer which forms partially the Zener diode, and 70 mils for the N type layer which partially forms the stabistor.

It will be noted that the emitter section must be quite wide to avoid interaction of the P type layer forming the Zener diode with the transistor portion of the device. The collector base and emitter portions of this particular device may act similar to a commercial 2N474 transistor. The lower poltion of the middle-most layer and the 40 mil P layer act similar to a Zener diode which may comprise a commerical SV7 diode. The lowermost layer acts similarly to an SG22 diode. This circuit is similar schematically to that shown in the enclosed rectangle of FIGURE 2.

In FIGURE 8, there is shown another schematic arrangement of a grown junction device which may operate within the concepts of the present invention. Here a three layer device is of grown NPN variety. The upperrnost N layer forms the collector and the suitable lead 26. The center layer forms the base having a llead 27, the lowermost layer forms the emitter having a lead 28. The emitter is made fairly thick so that an aluminum wire 29 may be alloyed or bonded to the lowermost end layer. This aluminum wire effectively forms a P type layer so that the equivalent circuit of FIGURE 8 is shown in FIG- URE 9, with the diode 30 being formed of the aluminum wire and a portion of the lower-most N type layer. This may be used in conjunction with a stabistor to obtain the same results as shown in FIGURE 2. The stabistor may be eliminated and temperature compensation still obtained if the resistivity of the emitter layer is selected so that the temperature coefiicient of the Zener diode portion formed between the emitter layer and the semiconducting region immediately adjacent to the aluminum wire 29 has a temperature coefiicient of approximately +2.4 millivolts per degree centigrade.

There has been described a novel semiconductor circuit especially useful in connection with regulating a DC output potential to remain substantially constant despite variations in temperature or current drawn from the constant potential terminal. ponents and the physical size of the circuit is reduced. In addition, the circuit structure is so arranged that the temperature-sensitive elements are maintained at substantially the same temperature at all times so that transient effects due to temporary thermal gradients are minimized. It is evident that those skilled in the art may now make numerous modifications of and departures from the specific exemplary embodiments described herein. Consequently, the invention is to be construed as limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having now described our invention, we claim:

The number of physical co-m-' 1. A semi-conductor device for amplification having an I extremely low temperature coefficient comprising five layers of alternately electrically contrasting semi-conductor material including first, second and third successively adjacent layers forming respectively collector, base and emitter layers that comprise means for providing transistor action, a fourth layer forming together with a portion of said third layer a Zener diode, and a fifth layer forming together with said fourth layer a stabistor in series with said Zener diode, said third layer being sufficiently thick to effectively isolate the transistor action of the first three layers from the Zener diode action, said base and emitter layers being separated by a baseemitter junction therebetween, the potential across said base-emitter junction functionally related to temperature in a first sense, said Zener diode being poled opposite to said baseernitter rectifying junction, said stabistor being poled in the same sense as said base-emitter rectifying junction, said base-emitter rectifying junction being in series with said Zener diode and said stabistor so that current flowing across said base-emitter junction flows through said Zener diode and said stabistor, the potential across the series combination of said Zener diode and said stabistor being functionally related to temperature in a sense opposite to said first sense to maintain the potential across the series combination of said base-emitter junction, said Zener diode and said stabistor substantially constant.

2. A semi-conductor device for amplification having an extremely low temperature coefiicient comprising three layers of alternately contrasting semi-conductor material forming respectively collector, base and emitter layers that comp-rise means for providing transistor action, a wire of electrically contrasting materiall connected to said emitter layer at a point remote from said base layer whereby said wire and the portion of said emitter layer adjacent to it comprise means defining a temperature compensating Zener diode rectifying junction therebetween, said emitter layer comprising means for effectively isolating said Zener diode rectifying junction from the transistor action exhibited by said collector, base and emitter layers, said base and emitter layers being separated by a baseemitter rectifying junction, the potential across said baseemitter junction functionally related to temperature in a first sense, said Zener diode rectifying junction being in series with said base-emitter rectifying junction so that the current flowing across said base emitter junction flows across said Zener diode rectifying junction, the potential across said Zener diode rectifying junction being functional=ly related to temperature in a sense opposite to said first sense to maintain the potential across the series combination of said base-emitter junction and said Zener diode rectifying junction substantially constant.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,655,609 10/1953 Shockley 330-24 X 2,693,572 11/1954 Chase 307-885 2,831,126 4/1958 Linvill et al. 30788.5 2,846,592 8/1958 Rutz 330--24 2,847,583 8/1958 Lin 33024 2,937,963 5/1960 Pelfrey 317--234 X 3,050,638 8/1962 Evans et al 3l7235 3,105,198 9/1963 Higgin'botham 33023 X 3,156,861 11/1964 Dickson 317-234 X JOHN W. 'HUCKERT, Primary Examiner. A. M. LESNIAK, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SEMI-CONDUCTOR DEVICE FOR AMPLIFICATION HAVING AN EXTREMELY LOW TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT COMPRISING FIVE LAYERS OF ALTERNATELY ELECTRICALLY CONTRASTING SEMI-CONDUCTOR MATERIAL INCLUDING FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD SUCCESSIVELY ADJACENT LAYERS FORMING RESPECTIVELY COLLECTOR, BASE AND EMITTER LAYERS THAT COMPRISE MEANS FOR PROVIDING TRANSISTOR ACTION, A FOURTH LAYER FORMING TOGETHER WITH A PORTION OF SAID THIRD LAYER A ZENER DIODE, AND A FIFTH LAYER FORMING TOGETHER WITH SAID FOURTH LAYER A STABISTOR IN SERIES WITH SAID ZENER DIODE, SAID THIRD LAYER BEING SUFFICIENTLY THICK TO EFFECTIVELY ISOLATE THE TRANSISTOR ACTION OF THE FIRST THREE LAYERS FROM THE ZENER DIODE ACTION, SAID BASE AND EMITTER LAYERS BEING SEPARATED BY A BASEEMITTER JUNCTION THEREBETWEEN, THE POTENTIAL ACROSS SAID IN A FIRST SENSE, SAID ZENER DIODE BEING POLED OPPOSITE TO SAID BASE-EMITTER RECTIFYING JUNCTION, SAID STABISTOR BEING POLED IN THE SAME SENSE AS SAID BASE-EMITTER RECTIFYING JUNCTION, SAID BASE-EMITTER RECTIFYING JUNCTION BEING IN SERIES WITH SAID ZENER DIODE AND SAID STABISTOR SO THAT CURRENT FLOWING ACROSS SAID BASE-EMITTER JUNCTION FLOWS THROUGH SAID ZENER DIODE AND SAID STABISTOR, THE POTENTIAL ACROSS THE SERIES COMBINATION OF SAID ZENER DIODE AND SAID STABISTOR BEING FUNCTIONALLY RELATED TO TEMPERATURE IN A SENSE OPPOSITE TO SAID FIRST SENSE TO MAINTAIN THE POTENTIAL ACROSS THE SERIES COMBINATION OF SAID BASE-EMITTER JUNCTION, SAID ZENER DIODE AND SAID STABISTOR SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT.
 2. A SEMI-CONDUCTOR DEVICE FOR AMPLIFICATION HAVING AN EXTREMELY LOW TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT COMPRISING THREE LAYERS OF ALTERNATELY CONTRASTING SEMI-CONDUCTOR MATERAIL FORMING RESPECTIVELY COLLECTOR, BASE AND EMITTER LAYERS THAT COMPRISE MEANS FOR PROVIDING TRANSISTOR ACTION, A WIRE OF ELECTRICALLY CONTRASTING MATERIAL CONNECTED TO SAID EMITTER LAYER AT A POINT REMOTE FROM SAID BASE LAYER WHEREBY SAID WIRE AND THE PORTION OF SAID EMITTER LAYER ADJACENT TO IT COMPRISE MEANS DEFINING A TEMPERATURE COMPENSATING ZENER DIODE RECTIFYING JUNCTION THEREBETWEEN, SAID EMITTER LAYER COMPRISING MEANS FOR EFFECTIVELY ISOLATING SAID ZENER DIODE RECTIFYING JUNCTION FROM THE TRANSISTOR ACTION EXHIBITED BY SAID COLLECTOR, BASE AND EMITTER LAYERS, SAID BASE AND EMITTER LAYERS BEING SEPARATED BY A BASEEMITTER RECTIFYING JUNCTION, THE POTENTIAL ACROSS SAID BASEEMITTER JUNCTION FUNCTIONALLY RELATED TO TEMPERATURE IN A FIRST SENSE, SAID ZENER DIODE RECTIFYING JUNCTION BEING IN SERIES WITH SAID BASE-EMITTER RECTIFYING JUNCTION SO THAT THE CURRENT FLOWING ACROSS SAID BASE-EMITTER JUNCTION FLOWS ACROSS SAID ZENER DIODE RECTIFYING JUNCTION, THE POTENTIAL ACROSS SAID ZENER DIODE RECTIFYING JUNCTION BEING FUNCTIONALLY RELATED TO TEMPERATURE IN A SENSE OPPOSITE TO SAID FIRST SENSE TO MAINTAIN THE POTENTIAL ACROSS THE SERIES COMBINATION OF SAID BASE-EMITTER JUNCTION AND SAID ZENER DIODE RECTIFYING JUNCTION SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT. 